Featured Artists
Stephanie Baumer has been designing, drawing, and creating art her whole life. Illustration has always been one of her specific art interests and has recently become a career—along with her title of art director at the graphic design firm Taylor Design in Stamford, CT. In broad strokes, her illustrations are fun, playful, occasionally punny, and always colorful. She creates art prints, vinyl stickers, and sticker sheets for kids. Steph has lived all over Connecticut, but currently resides in the charming little seaside town of Fairfield. 
Prathima Bhargav from South Windsor, CT moved here from India in 2016. She is in human resources by day and an artist by passion. She has always had an artistic hand and been blessed with a natural ability to draw what she sees. Nature's cryptic and repetitive patterns inspire her - the symmetric scales on the fish, the veins on our hands, the surfing waves, the roots and branches of the trees, the swirly shell of the snail, the geometric shapes on the shell of the tortoise. She captures all of them in simple drawings that everyone can relate to. She loves connecting to others through her art. A Certified Zentangle Instructor, Prathima's works have been exhibited at Aetna, Open Studio Hartford, Ekphrasis, Art in the Park Manchester, to name just a few.
A graphic designer for over 30 years, Jennifer Bilsbury of Gemstone Bliss loves creating things! From Canton, Jennifer happened upon the idea of creating bracelets about 2 years ago while in Florida. She was absolutely inspired, excited and filled with joy and purpose! Her jewelry is made from all-natural lava rocks and gemstones. The lava rocks in most of her pieces allow the jewelry to also serve as aromatherapy, holding scents and wellness benefits for several hours at a time. The gemstones she works with also have specific meaning and healing properties associated with them."I am so in love with gemstones and their meanings," says Jennifer. "Their energies, their beauty. I absolutely adore working with my clients to find the gemstones they love & that fit their situation at the moment." 
Captivated by nature's beauty and inspired to capture fleeting moments or unusual perspectives so that they can be appreciated by all and last a lifetime, Christine Buhler of Serendipity's Sunshine has been hooked on capturing images since her first photography class in college. After years of focusing her creative energies in the corporate and non-profit sectors, she's finding time to pursue the creative passions that personally inspire her. With photographs that focus on the big picture and small details that are likely to be overlooked by the casual observer, Christine's images remind the viewer to slow down and look around. "Beauty is all around us. We just need to take the time to look for it."
Christy Corey’s paintings and illustrations are made in her bedroom studio, surrounded by plants, art supplies and other magical clutter. She works most often in watercolor, acrylic and oil paint. Her recipe illustrations are sometimes painted as a whole image and other times are painted as pieces and collaged together digitally, allowing for a variety of layers, texture and text.
Christy's process includes collecting ideas, experiences and recipes in her sketchbook, then transforming them into finished pieces of art. Much of her work is inspired by travel, food and culture, and a love of learning. She considers the emotional, cultural and historical impact of food when making recipe illustrations. She hopes that her artwork can have a place in personal traditions and can help people to cherish favorite recipes and preserve the memories that come along with them.
Steve Habersang of Habby Art is a designer, art director and illustrator. Since graduating from Syracuse University in 2002, he has been working professionally for Taylor Design in Stamford, CT. His pen and ink drawings are a mix of fantasy and realism with a focus on the natural world, animals, and portraits. Influences include artists such as Dali, Escher, and Rockwell. Besides art and design, Steve spends his free time fishing, hiking, snowboarding, and mountain biking. Loves the ocean. And doesn't shy away from a good craft beer. A lifetime Nutmegger, he grew up in a small town in northwest Connecticut, and continues to work and live in Connecticut with his beautiful wife and muse, Kristine. 
Jennifer Hill has been drawing and painting for as long as she can remember. Her love for art stemmed from an early age, leading Jennifer on a creative path. Whether it was painting furniture, taking art classes, or creating murals for her high school, her creative tendency led her to minor in art at Central Connecticut State University. Gaining inspiration from her travels and her love of animals, Jennifer's pieces are colorful, fun, and add a bit of whimsy. She creates art prints, cards, and original acrylic painting on canvas. Jennifer currently resides in New Haven.
"There is nothing more fulfilling than creating a piece of art and then sharing it as an extension of myself. It is fascinating to see how viewers bring different associations and interpretations to life in viewing art." Elizabeth Ann McNally infuses a sense of whimsy and storytelling into each piece she creates, and her choice of artistic content is narrative and nonrepresentational. Based in New Britain, Elizabeth's narrative work expresses the humor and frivolity of everyday life through the foil of animals and their nature. She believes most people relate and identify with animals as extensions of themselves. In her nonrepresentational work, she allows color, line, pattern and the properties of the material and medium be the focus of the composition.
Kate O'Keefe is an artist and arts educator from Connecticut. She has been a high school visual arts teacher in Weston, Connecticut for the last 12 years, but has been an artist for much longer. Kate is primarily a painter who works with either oil or watercolor, but she loves to explore and experiment with different mediums, such as printmaking. Her work is innovative, risky, and thought provoking.
Kate’s work is inspired by her family, travel, and her love for learning and teaching. Her art process includes capturing and collecting images from her adventures, reflecting on life experiences, and then crafting her ideas into beautiful pieces of art. Kate can usually be found painting En Plein Air, or working away in her home studio. She is often accompanied by her 8-year-old daughter and cat, who can be found in many of her works.
Kate’s work has been shown at the Lyman Center for the Performing Arts at SCSU, The Buley Library Art Gallery at SCSU, and at Gallery North in Setauket, NY. She has also completed a children's book, "Along Came You".
SHOP KATE's WORK
Joyce Tedford, a local artisan from Stafford Springs, Connecticut designs beaded gift items, including pens, wine stoppers, letter openers, serving utensils, and more. She previously lived and worked as an art consultant in California where she developed her skills as a designer. A friend introduced Joyce to designing with beads and so began Filigree Beaded Gifts. Joyce searches for different varieties of beads and is inspired by their color, shape, material, and style to create beautiful and unique designs. Her gift items can be customized for special occasions or a special someone.
SHOP JOYCE's FILIGREE BEADED GIFTS
From an early age, Terrence Tougas of Mine Hill Woodworks has always been interested in exploring the physical world around him and has long held the view that creativity is equally important to the scientist and the artist. After graduate studies in Chemistry and a long career in the sciences, Terrence finally has time to pursue his creative outlets outside of the scientific realm: photography and woodworking.
In the wood shop, Terrence designs and builds a variety of pieces including furniture, toys and household items in his newly-constructed woodworking shop, located at his home in New Milford. He credits his late father with introducing him to the art of woodworking -- and instilling a love of working with your hands to create items that are both useful and aesthetically pleasing.